Always
by 23bjl23
Summary: Erin and Jay had promised to always be there for each other. A series of unrelated one shots that feature Jay and Erin as they navigate married life while continuing to work together.
1. Chapter 1

Authors note: I don't own these characters I'm just borrowing them

I also am not in the military, so any mistakes I have made I apologise.

**Just A Dream**

I was hovering somewhere between dreaming and being fully awake, a smile on my lips as I reach out my hand hoping to encounter the warm toned chest of the most important person in my life.

When my hand touches nothing but the cold sheet and the empty space beside me, my eyes open jerk open, the blissful smile slips from my lips and reality sets in. A reality where he isn't beside me.

Fifty-one days since he shared our bed, since I felt his strong arms around me, since his lips touched mine.

I sigh as I sit up in a bed that is suddenly too big for just me. I knew this was going to be hard but my new reality feels like a living nightmare sometimes.

I throw the covers off and get to my feet, I shiver as the frigid air wraps around me. I must have forgotten to turn the heat on last nigh after finishing up work late, I think as I try to rub some warmth into my bare arms.

I walk into the bathroom and strip off the shirt of his that I now sleep in. A shirt that used to smell like him, but now smells like me.

I rush through my morning routine, trying to push thoughts of him away. I make my way into our kitchen, in desperate need of coffee. A smile tugs at my lips when I see the photo of us on the fridge.

Our arms are around each other, a smile on his lips, as he looks down at me, I smile at the camera, my cheeks flushed with colour, my eyes bright with desire.

I remember that moment like it was yesterday. We were at Molly's after finishing up a particularly hard case involving two kidnapped girls. Luckily we had had a good outcome, so we were celebrating. All the until were there, even Hank and we were all in high spirits after a few beers. I remember Jay wrapping his ams around me and whispering all the things he planned to do to me later when we were alone. And Adam laughing as he snapped a cheeky photo of us.

The next week the photo had appeared on the notice board in the break room, well for a little while anyway. It had disappeared as quickly as it turned up. At the time I thought Hank had removed it, but turned up on our fridge door the next day.

I quickly drink my coffee, forgoing breakfast and grab by beanie, coat and scarf. My leather gloves seem to have disappeared. After donning the extra layers I make my way outside into the cold Chicago February morning. Another foot of snow covered the ground and the air hung heavy with the promise of more to come.

I breath sigh of relief as I safely negotiate the icy sidewalk and make it to the car, where I don't waste any time turning the heat up as high as it will go.

During the fifteen minute drive to the district I try to focus on the case that we are working at the moment. A spate of armed robberies that had turned deadly had the whole unit on edge. Every lead so far had turned up nothing of use, and the brass were putting the pressure on us for answers. Answers that so far we didn't have.

I pull into the 21 district car park and into my designated spot. As usual the empty spot next to mine makes my stomach drop and my heart ache.

"Fifty-one days." I say out loud and close my eyes, thinking about the last time I saw him. January first would be a day forever etched in my memory. The day we said goodbye. The day Jay left for Afghanistan.

The call had come in November. I knew something was wrong straight away when he answered the phone call. I could see it in his eyes. And then he told me. He was being recalled to active duty for the Rangers. He reported for duty just after Christmas and would be deployed for nine months on January 1st. It wasn't how either one of us had planned to spend the new year.

Although he tried not to let it show, I knew he was worried about going back to 'the sandbox' as he called it. He became quite and withdrawn. And I could see the haunted look in his eyes.

And then there were the conversations with Mouse that would end abruptly when I walked into the room. The two of them shared a bond that was unbreakable and I knew if it was possible Mouse would have gone back with Jay. In fact I know he tried to get his medical discharge revoked so he could do just that, but he failed the psych exam. A fact which Jay had been visibly relieved about. He hadn't wanted his friend to have to go back, not when he had been through so much the last time.

I jump as I hear a knock on my car window, I turn and see Hank standing next to my car.

"You coming in some time today Erin?" Hank asks me with a smirk.

"Sorry." I say as I open the car door and get out.

"You ok kid?" He asks as he throws an arm around my shoulders. "Heard from Halstead lately?"

"I'm fine. I haven't heard anything from him since last week. He said that something was about to jump off over there and that he would probably be going dark for a while. But promised to contact me when he could." I say, trying not to let my worry show.

"I'm sure he'll be fine Erin." Hank says to me as we walk up the front stairs of the precinct.

The place is a mad house, with people everywhere. Hank and I walk to the stairs and scan in, gaining access to the Intelligence unit. We make our way upstairs and into the bullpen. It seems I was lost in memories of Jay, in my car, for longer than I thought, because the rest of the unit is already here.

"Hey." I call out to everyone as way of greeting, as I walk to my desk shedding my beanie and scarf as I go.

I sit at my desk and glance over at the desk opposite. Jay's desk. Or what used to be his desk. When Jay had to take a leave of absence from the unit while he was deployed, Kim Burgess had been promoted to Intelligence to take spot. And his desk.

I had been partnered with Hank in Jay's absence, and Kim had been paired up with Antonio, Alvin, Ruzek and Atwater riding together.

I look down at my notes on the case from the previous day, seeing if anything jumps out at me. It doesn't. I've reached out to every CI I have and still come up nothing of value.

"Ok where are we at with these robberies?" Hank asks as he walks out of his office.

Ruzek stands up and walks towards the white board that has details about the six robberies that have been committed in Chicago over the past two weeks. The latest one, two days ago had turned deadly.

"Sarge, we have hit dead end after dead end on this one." Ruzek says clearly frustrated.

"Anyone got anything?" Hank yells looking round the room at us.

"I'm meeting one of my CI's in ten minutes." Atwater says.

"Take Olinsky with you." Hank told him, sharing a look with Alvin and they quickly left.

"Any one else?" Hank asks and is answered with a series of 'no's.

"Everyone stays here until we have something we can use to get these bastards."

I catch Antonio's eye and he nods towards the break room. Knowing I have nothing that can help the case, I get up and walk in that direction. I can definitely use some more caffeine.

In the break room I head straight for the coffee machine and pour myself a cup. I'm leaning against the bench when Antonio walks in.

"Hey, have you heard anything from Jay?"

"Not since last week. They were heading out on an op, and he said they could be gone for a while." I told him while sipping my coffee.

"I could get Mouse to find out something for you." Antonio says. And I think seriously about saying yes to his offer.

"If I haven't heard anything by the end of the week I will take you up on that." I tell him and he nods, grabs a coffee and heads back to his desk.

I don't tell Antonio that Mouse has been keeping me in the loop pretty much since Jay touched down in Afghanistan. The guy has contacts all over the Army and is a genius with a computer. But even he was unable to find out information on the latest mission Jay was on. He said he has a couple more tree's to shake and would let me know something by tomorrow.

Hearing voices out in the bullpen, I walk out of the break room and stop abruptly at the sight of Will Halstead standing in Hank's office with Mouse.

Hank sees me and Will and Mouse turn towards me.

"No." I say almost to myself. But I see the look on their faces.

"Please, no." I cry and the coffee cup falls from my numb hands a shatters into a million pieces like my heart.

"Erin I'm so sorry." Will chokes out walking towards me, tears in his eyes.

"No." I say again shaking my head. It can't be true. Not Jay.

"He promised me he would come home to me." I hear myself say.

"Erin..." I hear Will say, "I'm sorry but he's gone."

"No I don't believe you." He had to be wrong.

"Erin, listen to me." Hank says from beside me. Reaching out for me. I don't even remember him moving.

"No keep away from me." I say hugging myself. It's freezing in here.

"Erin look at me." Hank says, but I can't. I can't look into his eyes and see the truth.

I hear a shrill sound, and my knees go weak. I feel myself falling and it occurs to me that the noise is coming from me. I see thousands of images of how my life with Jay Halstead should have been. Then everything goes black, and I willingly sink into oblivion.

I am vaguely aware of feeling like I'm floating and I can hear two familiar voices, but I can't make any sense of what they are saying.

I slowly open my eyes, I'm laying on the couch in the break room with Hank and Will Halstead hovering over me. And reality crashes in.

"Please tell me you're wrong." I plead looking up at Jay's brother.

"I wish I could Erin. I wish that more than anything right now. But I can't." Will says and I can hear the anguish in his voice, see the sorrow in his bloodshot eyes.

I can't hold the tears at bay any longer, I cover my mouth to try and muffle the sobs.

This can't be happening. I need someone to wake me up from this nightmare.

Will tells me he received notification that Jay had been killed in action while his unit were on their latest mission. Their convoy had come under heavy fire. Jay had been fatally injured while trying to save one of the other guys in his team.

Will continues talking, but I don't hear anything he says. I can't comprehend anything other than the fact that the man I love and was planning on marrying isn't coming home.

I twist the diamond ring on my right hand, thinking how happy I was when Jay proposed to me, how happy we were. How happy we would have been.

I close my eyes and try to remember the last time we kissed, the last time we touched, the last time we made love.

"I need to go home." I say and get up off the couch with slightly unsteady feet.

"Erin let me drive you." I hear Will say.

"No. I need to be alone."

"Erin I don't think you should be driving at the moment."

"I need to get out of here." I mumble and push past Hank and Will into the bullpen. I grab my things off my desk, avoiding eye contact with everyone and flee down the stairs as fast as my unsteady feet will take me.

"Erin..." I hear Hank's gravely voice say from somewhere behind me. But I don't stop.

I fish my car keys out of my jeans pocket fumbling to find the right key so I can make my escape.

I see Hank running towards me, but I put my foot down on the gas and take off for home. The fifteen minute drive from the district only takes eight minutes. By the time I make it through the front door I can't stop the sobs that feel like they are ripping my chest apart. I need to be where Jay is. Where I can still feel him. I walk to the bed that we shared and launch myself on it, clutching his pillow.

I gasp at the pain in my heart that has surely shattered into a million pieces. I jump up out of our bed and race into the kitchen. I look at the photo of us taking pride of place on the fridge and remove it with trembling fingers. I look down at the image of us so happy and carefree. I trace my fingers over his face. A face I will never touch again.

I grab a bottle of vodka out of the freezer, twisting the top off. I swallow the clear liquid straight from the bottle and it burns the whole way down. I gulp down another mouthful needing something to numb the pain. Taking the bottle, the photo and Jay's pillow I walk back into our bedroom and placing them carefully on the bed I walk to the wardrobe and take out Jay's favorite black hoodie and and t-shirt. Shedding my own clothes I put his on, needing to somehow be closer to him.

I don't know how long I lay there on our bed dressed in his clothes, long enough to finish off the bottle of vodka. Long enough for the darkness to swallow me whole.

I hear a cracking sound and the lights turn on.

"Erin where are you?"

"She's here somewhere."

There are hands shaking me, trying to bring me back from the darkness.

"Erin how much of this did you drink?"

"Do you think she took anything else?"

I wanted to tell the voices to go away but I was tired and needed to sleep. I needed to dream of Jay.

My eyes snap open when I'm hit with a stream of freezing water. Hank has a hold of me in the shower stall.

"Hank what the fuck?" I splutter, wide awake.

"You are not doing this to yourself." Hank said pulling out of the shower and into his arms.

"What are you doing here. Leave me alone." I yell trying to scramble out of his arms.

"Erin stay still. I don't want to hurt you." he pleads tightening his grip on my arms.

"Then why does it hurt so much?" I ask. "Please make it stop." I plead.

* * *

The next few days pass by in a blur. Hank and Will stay with me. Hank to make sure I don't 'do anything stupid.' And Will needing to feel closer to Jay. Which I guess he finds being surrounded by Jay's things.

I feel like I'm sleepwalking through the next week. I remember moments, like seeing Jay's coffin draped in the American flag, flinching when I hear the gun salute, and finally being handed the folded up flag. And later going back to Molly's for the wake. Everyone wanting something from me. Wanting to know if I'm Ok. Wanting to say how sorry they are about Jay being dead.

It's dark when I finally get home, I put the folded up flag in the hall cupboard. I can't bare to look at it again. I was finally able to get Will and Hank to give me some space. So I am finally home alone for the first time in over a week.

I walk into the bedroom and pick up Jay's hoodie. I put it on over my black dress, I lay on the bed and pull the covers over me. I close my eyes and visions of Jay flash behind my eyes like a movie.

The first time we met, neither of us sure about the other. The flirting, the banter. The first time we kissed, which was also the first time we ended up in bed together. Our first fight. The fantastic make-up sex. Thousands of moments run through my mind. The last thing I see before sleep claims me is Jay laying beside me in our bed with a smile on his face as he watches me.

I jerk awake gasping for air, unsure what woke me up. I listen but I can't hear anything accept the even breathing of the person sleeping beside me. I let out a strangled cry and turn on the lights.

"Erin what's wrong?" He asks as the light wakes him up.

"Jay you're here." I say launching myself at him, kissing him deeply.

"Not that I don't love your reaction, but where else did you expect me to be at three am." Jay said with a breathless laugh once I let him up for air.

"But you were gone. You left me." I tell him, tears filling my eyes.

"Hey remember I promised you I would never leave you." He reminds me his hands cupping my face. "And I keep my promises."

"You're really here." I ask not quite believing it. I lay back down in his arms.

"Of course I am. It was just a dream Erin. Go back to sleep, we need all the sleep we can get before the baby arrives." Jay says and lovingly strokes my rounded belly.

I snuggle against him our entwined hands resting over where our baby grows within me.

I fall back sleep with a smile on my lips.


	2. Safe In Your Arms

Jay groaned as the alarm rang out, not wanting to leave the warmth of the bed, and the woman curved into his side, her head against his shoulder, and her arm draped across his chest.

"No. Five more minutes." Jay mumbled, not willing to open his eyes, as he tightened his arms around her. And not willing to let her move out of his arms or out of their bed.

"Come on Jay we need to get up." Erin told him slapping her hand against his chest.

"I could make staying here worth your while." Jay told her suggestively, and in a sudden burst of movement rolled her beneath him.

"In five minutes? Wow I feel special." Erin retorted rolling her eye at her husband as she stroked a hand down his chiseled abs.

"Well we could take a shower together after. And you know, save both time and water." Jay told her with a smirk.

He dipped his head and captured her lips with his, in a kiss that started out slow and sweet, but heat quickly flared as Jay hand moved to grip her jaw, a move that never failed to turn her into a quivering mess. Jay deepened the kiss his tongue sliding against hers, as his hands inched underneath his old army t-shirt that she wore to bed.

With a groan Erin tore her lips from his.

"Jay we can't." Erin said breathlessly.

"Sure we can." Jay replied dipping his head towards hers again, undeterred when she turned her head so that his lips missed hers, a nipped a her neck a move he knew drove her wild.

"Thats not fair." Erin moaned out, grabbing Jay by the hair, and slammed her lips against his, all her arguments for getting up and starting the day disappearing around the same time the t-shirt Erin slept in was tossed to the floor.

* * *

Jay was leaning against the kitchen counter wearing only a pair of sweat pants and a satisfied smirk on his face, as he shoveled cereal into his mouth and waited for Erin to get out of the shower.

When he'd tried to join her, she'd slammed the door in his face muttering about his abs being a distraction she didn't need.

"Shit." He hear Erin mutter from the bedroom.

"What's wrong?" Jay asked putting his empty bowl in the sink.

"Dammit I knew there was a reason I set my alarm so early this morning." Erin said as she entered the kitchen, sending Jay an icy glare, while trying not to notice his six pack, well eight if she were being totally honest, her husband was very well put together, that defined chest, that delicious v that made her want to...

Erin shook her head trying to break out of her Jay induced trance.

"What?"Jay asked with a shrug of his shoulders.

"This is all your fault." Erin said pointing a finger at her smug looking husband.

"I had an appointment this morning before work, one that I'm now late for."

"So ring and reschedule, tell them something came up." Jay said, then smirked again when he realized what he'd said.

"What are you twelve?" Erin asked with a disgusted shake of her head, before walking down the hallway, stopping briefly to get her badge and gun out of their lockbox.

"Hey are you leaving without me?" Jay asked a he followed her down the hallway.

"Yes. I can't just reschedule this appointment, it took me weeks to get it." Erin told him. "You'll have to find your own way to work.

"Come on I'll be five minutes." Jay told her.

"Yeah I know all about your 'five minutes.' Call Ruzek get him to pick you up." Erin said shrugging into her coat.

"I'll see you later at the district." Erin promised and opened the front door.

"What no kiss?" Jay asked her with a raised eyebrow.

"No. You got far more than that this morning. And if Hank asks where I am just tell him its all your fault." Erin said with a smirk of her own.

"That's just cruel." Jay called out as she shut the front door.

Jay and Adam, raced up the stairs that lead to the Intelligence Unit, just minutes before they would be officially late.

"You're looking way to happy for someone in danger of being chewed out by his boss for being late." Adam said shooting a knowing glance over at Jay who had a stupid smirk on his face.

"We aren't late yet." Jay said looking down at his watch. "And besides man, you can't talk you're always late."

"Exactly, he expects me to be late. Not you. You and Erin are always here early. Speaking of you never said why you needed a lift or where Erin is for that matter?"

"She had a thing." Jay replied as they walked into the bullpen, then muttered under his breath as he saw the rest of the unit already there and looking at Hank Voight who was standing in front of the whiteboard, on which two photos were pinned up on.

"What's Mark Davis doing up there?" Jay asked as he recognized the face of the undercover cop he had worked with in Gangs, before he transferred into Intelligence.

"Nice of you two to finally join us." Hank, his tone letting them know he was in no way impressed with fact that they weren't already at their desks.

Antonio stood up to join Hank in front of the white board.

"Mark has been in deep cover on a joint operation with Organized Crime investigating a gambling syndicate. Last night Nancy Davis came in to report their daughter Rebecca Davis missing." Antonio told them.

"Do you think that her disappearance has something to do with the case Mark is working on?" Jay asked as he sat on the edge of his desk. He had worked with Mark six, maybe seven years ago on a case, they'd become friends. He'd spent a bit of time with Nancy and Rebecca or Becky as she'd been know by back then. Jay figured she would have to be around twelve now.

"If we knew that–" Hank started but was cut off by Antonio.

"We are looking into that. Although we have no reason to believe his cover has been blown, he doesn't meet his handler for another three days, so there is no real way of knowing." Antonio told them.

"What did Nancy say when she reported Becky missing?" Jay wanted to know.

"You know them?" Adam asked.

"Yeah I worked with Mark, and spent a bit of time with him and his family nearly seven years ago." Jay said walking towards the whiteboard to look up at the picture of Rebecca Davis.

"What do we know?" Jay asked shooting Hank a wary glance.

"Nancy went to pick Rebecca up after soccer training yesterday afternoon, only to find she wasn't there, she never showed up at training. She was last seen at school just after lunch. Word from the school is she wasn't feeling well and went home sick. A fact wasn't passed on to Nancy at the time. It was only when she started making calls after Rebecca wasn't at soccer training that she found that out." Antonio added.

"Alright Antonio you take Atwater and head out to the school. I want to know why they let a kid wander off without her parents knowing about it." Hank told them.

"Al can you a Ruzek go and find out any information you can on the OP Mark was working." He continued, before looking at Jay. "My office." Was all he said.

"Where's Erin?" Hank wanted to know when Jay joined him in his office.

"Um she had a thing." Jay told him.

"A thing?" Hank questioned clearly unimpressed with Jay's explanation of his missing partner.

"Jay I stuck my neck out when the Commander wanted to split up your partnership when you got married, saying that you were better off partnered together than separated. I warned you and Erin to keep your personal life separate. If you're having problems at home they stay _at_ home" Hank told him.

"And we have. We aren't having problems." Jay retorted starting to get pissed off.

"Then where the hell is she?" Hank demanded.

"She had an appointment before work this morning, she'll be here as soon as it's finished." Jay assured his boss.

Hank just narrowed his eyes at Jay, not quite sure if he believed the younger Detective. He'd tried to ring Erin earlier but found her cell phone was turned off which wasn't like her at all.

"If she's not here by lunch you and me are going to have a problem." Hank promised. "Now I want you to head out the the Davis house and see if Nancy Davis can give you any more information."

As much as Jay wanted to say something more he held his tongue and headed out of Hank's office, grabbed his jacket and the address off Mouse and headed down the stairs.

As soon as he cleared the front steps of the Twenty-first district he took his phone out of his jeans pocket a dialed Erin.

Jay frowned when she didn't answer, but figured she was still at her appointment. Deciding to send her a text instead.

Jay: Hank's convinced we're _having problems. _So tempting to tell him exactly how we spent this morning. You owe me. I'll think about how you can make it up to me tonight ;)

The drive out the Davis house took Jay about fifteen minutes. He parked in the driveway of the tidy two story yellow weatherboard house and got out of the 300.

He climbed up the three steps to the front door and knocked on the front door waiting for someone to answer the door.

Moments later the door opened revealing a disheveled Nancy Davis.

"Jay? Jay Halstead?" Nancy questioned when she recognized the handsome Detective standing on her doorstep.

"Hi Nancy. How are you holding up?" Jay asked and stepped inside when she opened the door wider.

"I've been better. I keep on hoping I'll wake up and this will all be a bad dream. I want my baby back Jay." Nancy told him as she led him into the lounge room and motioned for him to take a seat with a hand that was clutching a cell phone, almost like a life line.

"We are doing everything to make sure that happens I promise." Jay assured her.

"I heard they were giving the case to Intelligence. I forgot you transferred there." Nancy said rubbing a hand over her tired eyes.

"I know you've probably already been through this a hundred times, but I just need you to take me through what happened yesterday. Step by step. Did anything strange happen?" Jay needed to know.

Nancy spent the next thirty minutes accounting for nearly every minute of the day before, while Jay took notes and asked the standard questions. No, there weren't any problems at home. Yes, Becky was doing well at school.

"I wish he was here he'd know what to do. I can't help but think if her were here this wouldn't have happened." Nancy told him sadly.

"We're trying to get ahold of him." Jay assured her knowing between Hank and Al one of them would have the contacts to get Mark home.

"How does your wife cope with the job?" Nancy questioned him when she spotted his wedding ring.

"She's a cop too. She also happens to be my partner on the job." Jay told her with a small smile as he thought of Erin.

"Wow. I didn't think that was allowed."

"Yeah well you don't know my boss Hank Voight. He's not exactly by the book. He and Mark would get along well." Jay told her with a smile.

"Please bring them home." Nancy pleaded with him.

"I will do everything within my power to do that." Jay assured her.

Nancy was walking Jay to the front door when her cell phone rang, she glance down at the number, frowning when she saw the number.

"What is it? Jay asked.

"I had two calls from that number yesterday, but there was no one there when I answered." Nancy told him.

"You don't know that number?" Jay asked and when Nancy shook her head, "May I?" Jay asked and Nancy handed him the cell phone.

Like the day before there was no one there and Jay hung up. He quickly dialed Mouse and got him to trace the number.

"Do you think that has something to do with Becky going missing? Do you think it has something to do with the case Mark is working on?." Nancy asked.

"I'm not sure yet but I will find out." Jay told her.

Mouse rang him back within minutes and was able to tell him that the phone call came from a burner phone and had originated from an old factory down town that seemed to have a connection to the case Mark was working on. Jay then spoke to Hank who had arranged for a couple of uniforms to come and pick Nancy up and take her back to the precinct in case she was in danger.

Mouse sent Jay address of the old Factory and Jay waited until Nancy was safely in protective custody, before he climbed into the 300 and punched the address that mouse gave him into the GPS. Jay was about half way there when his phone buzzed with an incoming call from Hank.

"Go for Halstead."Jay answered his phone.

"I just heard back from Al. Mark's cover was compromised. They made him."Hank told him.

"Organised Crime executed a raid this morning and have all the major players of the gambling syndicate they were investigating in custody. But Mark and Rebecca were no where to be found. And no one is talking. The factory seems to be out only lead."

I'm heading there now I'm about four minutes out." Jay told him.

"The rest of the team about ten minutes behind you. Erin and I a couple behind them. Halstead do not enter the building until the rest of us get there." Hank told him and ended the phone call.

Jay tuned on the lights and put his foot down and sped towards the factory.

Jay arrived at the dilapidated factory ahead of his other team members, the factory appeared to be empty, no other cars in sight. Jay parked so that no one driving by could see his car. He got out of the car and grabbed his vest out of the boot before quickly strapping it on and putting the ear piece of his radio in his ear. Once he was suited up he headed towards the building to do some recon before the rest of the team arrived. Luckily for them the factory was only on one level so Jay could get a decent look around while he waited for the rest of the team to arrive.

With nothing visible at the front of the building, Jay made his way to the back. He could see some kind of opening about half way along and headed towards that. As he approached the opening he could hear a noise coming from inside the building. He unholstered his gun and peered inside the hole, and saw them.

Mark was chained up to a support beam about ten meters in front of where Jay stood and Becky was tied to a chair just beyond that. The noise Jay had heard was Becky crying while Mark tired to break free of his confines.

"Shit." Jay muttered

"What's your ETA?" Jay spoke into his radio.

"We're three minutes out." Antonio replied.

"I have eyes on both Mark and Becky Davis." Jay told the rest of the team.

"Any sign of anyone else." Alvin asked him.

"Negative. No other movement at all." Jay confirmed.

"I'm going in." Jay said into his radio.

"Jay wait for back-up –" Erin started but was drowned out by a thud and Becky's scream.

"Shit." Jay muttered again and entered the factory.

"Chicago PD." Jay identified himself. "Mark it's Jay Halstead. I need to know that both you and Becky are ok?"

"We're ok. How did you find us?" Mark asked in disbelief, not really believing that someone had come to their rescue.

"I was with Nancy. She got a phone call that originated from here." Jay explained as he made sure Mark's wounds were all superficial.

"Is she ok did they get her?" Mark asked worried about the safety of his wife.

"She's fine, she's back at the twenty-first district. She'll be happier when she sees you both." Jay assured his old friend as he crouched down next to where Becky had tipped over in the chair she was tied to.

"Hey Becky I'm Jay. You probably don't remember me but I used to work with your dad." Jay told the girl as he checked her over for any injures. Thankfully she appeared to be unharmed.

"I remember you. You brought me a soccer ball." Becky said with a small smile.

"That's right I did too." Jay said with a laugh, surprised she remembered, because he had forgotten until she reminded him.

"Are you here to help me and Daddy?" Becky asked him.

"I sure am." Jay told her and quickly untied her. Once he had the ropes untied he helped Becky to her feet and moved back to where Mark was.

"Jay I need you to get Becky out of here." Mark told him.

"I'm going to get you both out of here." Jay assured him, but Mark just shook his head sadly.

It was then Jay saw what the problem was, and cursed himself for not noticing it earlier.

"Antonio I need you to come to the back of the building, there's a hole about half way alone I'm going to send Becky out to you." Jay said into his radio.

"On my way now. Everyone else is in place. Tell us what you need." Antonio told him.

"Becky you see that hole in the wall over there I need you run over there. My friend Antonio will be waiting for you." Jay told her.

"Go on baby. You've been so brave. Just do this one last thing for me, then you can see Mommy." Mark told her with a sad smile.

"Love you daddy." Becky hold her father.

"Love you too baby." Mark told her. "Go on." He said and she raced to where Antonio now stood in the middle of the hole in the wall.

"I need everyone to stay out of the building." Jay spoke into his radio.

"What's going on Jay?"Alvin asked.

"I've got a bomb in here." Jay said as he knelt down next to Mark to get a better look at the bomb.

"We can have the Bomb Squad here in under ten minutes." Al told him.

"That's great. But we don't have that long." Jay told him sardonically.

"How long do you have?" This time the question came form Hank.

"Just over three minutes." Jay said, risking a look at Mark, who seemed resigned to that fact that it was over for him.

"Jay go get out of here. There's no way you can get me out of these in time. Just leave me and go." Mark pleaded.

"I can't do that man." Jay replied.

* * *

Erin and Hank were moving towards the back of the old factory when Erin heard Jay say over the radio, that there was a bomb in the building.

She came to an abrupt stop, as the ground seemed to tilt beneath her.

Then the radio was just white noise in her ear, while her mind screamed out for Jay.

"Erin we need to get back." Hank told her pulling he back away from the old factory, pulling her away from Jay.

"No we need to get him out." Erin said as she struggled to get out of Hank's grasp.

"He knows what he's doing." Al said trying to reassure her.

"Jay I need you to get out of there." Erin said into her radio, when there must be about two minutes to go.

"Erin –" She heard Jay's voice in her ear.

"Jay get out of there now." Erin pleaded again when there must have only been a minute left, as Hank and Al ushered her further and further away from where Jay was.

"Erin, I love you." She heard him say.

"No. You don't get to do that." Erin told him angrily. There must have only been seconds left.

"Get out of there now Jay –" Erin demanded again, but was cut off by a pop and then a loud bang. Then the ground shook as the factory exploded in a fiery mess of flames and debris.

Erin screamed as Hank held her back, and then held her up, as her legs collapsed out from underneath her.

Somewhere in the back of her mind Erin registered the sound of sirens and voices.

"Jay?" Erin said brokenly into her radio, but was only greeted with silence.

The next thing Erin knew she was sitting in the back seat of Hank's Escalade watching in a daze as Firefighters streamed in and out of the partly flattened and twisted structure.

"Erin." Hank called out leaning down so he was in her line of sight and tried again. "Erin we found Jay –" was all he was able to get out before Erin lurched to her feet, "Erin he's ok. Banged up a little. They're going to take both him and Mark into Chicago Med to be checked over." Hank explained to her as he led her towards the ambulance.

It was only when Erin got into the ambulance and saw with her own two eyes that Jay was indeed alive, that she felt like she could breath again.

The trip to Chicago Med was quick, but Erin was concerned that Jay was still unconscious.

Jay was wheeled away when they arrived at the ED, and Erin was forced to wait out in the hallway while Jay was checked out.

"Erin what are you doing here." Will Halstead asked as he saw his sister-in law pacing outside of one of the examination rooms in the ED

"Jay." Was her only answer.

"What happened? Is he ok? Will asked worriedly.

"There was a bomb. They said he was going to be ok." Erin told him.

"Wait here I'll see what I can find out." Will told her and walked into the room where they were working on Jay.

The longer Erin waited the angrier she got. She couldn't believe Jay walked into that building without waiting for back-up something they both promised they would never do again. She was even more pissed at the fact that he hadn't gotten out of the building the second he realized there was a bomb in there. She couldn't believe she had nearly become a widow only six months after getting married.

By the time Hank and Alvin arrived at Chicago Med, Erin was so mad she could barely contain herself.

Erin stopped mid pace when Will walked out of the examination room with that stupid Halstead grin on his face, which only served to make her angrier.

"Is he ok?" Erin asked through gritted teeth.

"He's going to be fine. Apart from a concussion he's perfectly alright. You can go in if you want." Will told her.

"Good." Erin said before turning and walking back down the hallway, despite the fact that Will and Hank were calling her name, Erin continued walking until she was out the front of Chicago Med.

Despite Hank's protestations that she get back inside the hospital and go see Jay, Erin refused and eventually Hank gave in and agreed to drive her back to the precinct, leaving Alvin to stay with Jay.

Erin could feel Hank's eyes on her throughout the drive back to the precinct, but she just ignored him, slumped down the the passenger seat, her arms crossed.

"Erin what the hell is going on with you?" Hank asked, not willing to let her get away with her silence any longer.

"You mean apart from the fact that my husband nearly got himself blown up?" Erin all but snarled back, glad when they pulled into the car park out the back of the Twenty-first district.

"Erin if you are Halstead are having problems –"

"Hank we aren't having problems."

"Oh so it's perfectly acceptable and normal behavior to leave your partner who also happens to be your husband at the hospital without even going in to see him?" Hank retorted, and wished he hadn't been so harsh with her when she seemed to deflate before his eye.

"Let me take you back to Chicago Med." Hank said reaching out to put a comforting hand on her shoulder, as tears streamed down her pale features.

"No. I can't –" Erin told him with a sad shake of her head.

Hank helped her out of the car and escorted her into the precinct, one of his trademark glares ensuring that no one waylaid them on their way up to Intelligence.

"How's Jay?" Kevin asked as soon as she and Hank cleared the stairs.

"He's going to be fine." It was Hank that answered the question, while Erin remained quiet.

"What are you even doing here Erin? Shouldn't you be giving Halstead a sponge bath or something?" Adam asked, and was instantly rewarded with a withering glare from Hank and directed Erin into the break room.

"What? What did I say?" Adam asked with a shrug of his shoulders.

"Man some times you just need to shut up." Kevin said with a shake of his head, as Hank closed the door behind him and Erin.

"Erin?" Hank said tentatively.

"I'm fine." Erin said holding her hands up and stepping away from him.

"I'll be in my office if you need anything." Hank said with a sigh. Knowing there was nothing else he could do at the moment to help her, except be there when she finally either wanted to talk or let him take to back to see Jay.

As soon as Hank shut the door behind him Erin started pacing around the break room, her breathing coming out in unsteady gasps.

She struggled to get her emotions under control as she walked an almost manic path from one end of the room to the other and then back again, her teeth tore at her thumbnail tearing it almost down to the quick as she wished she could have a do over on the day.

Because nothing had gone according to plan today. Not one single thing.

Starting from not getting out of bed when her alarm went off first thing this morning, to leaving Jay alone in the hospital.

Erin continued her pacing of the room, and finally after about ten minutes of her back and forth, she had finally managed to get her emotions some what under control. Well at least she no longer wanted to simultaneously scream, cry and punch someone or something.

Erin walked over to the coffee machine intending to pour herself one, before suddenly changing her mind and heading for the fridge and a bottle of water.

Erin had her head in the fridge when she heard the door to the break room open.

She turned, her bottle of water in her hand, as he stepped into the room.

"Hey." He said softly, and unsure smile on his face.

A face that was scraped a bruised.

Erin ran he eyes over him apart from the scrapes and bruises on his face and the bandage on his hairline he appeared to be ok, like Will had told her.

One moment Erin was drinking in the sight of her husband standing there alive and in once whole, perfect piece.

And the next she had launched the water bottle in her hand at him.

Luckily being in a bomb blast, and having a concussion didn't slow his reflexes, and he quickly ducked out of the way of her plastic missile.

"What the fuck?" Jay called out in disbelief.

"Oh God I'm sorry." Erin apologized wrapping her arms around herself.

It seemed she still had some ways to go trying to get her chaotic emotions under control.

"What the Hell Erin? Are you trying to kill me?" Jay asked still in a state of shock at his wife's outburst, neither of them noticing the rest of the team watching on intently.

"You don't ned my help. You're doing a pretty good job of that all by yourself." Erin retorted.

"What's that suppose to mean?"

"Why didn't you get out of there the minute you realized there was a bomb?" Erin wanted to know.

'Mark was chained up. I wasn't going to leave him in there to die." Jay told her moving further into the room so that he stood in front of Erin, his eyes pleading with her for understanding.

"You shouldn't have been in there to start with. You should have waited for back-up."

"If I had done that Mark and Becky may not wouldn't be here right now." Jay told her.

"What about you Jay? What if it was you who wasn't here right now?"Erin asked, tears once more running unchecked down her cheeks.

"We take risks every day on the job Erin." Jay reminded her.

"That's not the point Jay and you know it." Erin retorted.

"What exactly is the point Erin. Because I'm standing right here in front of you and I'm fine." Jay told her as she started pacing in front of him, "You can't stand there and tell me you wouldn't have done the same thing. Coz we both know that you would have."

"No. Things are different now." Erin told him with shake of her head.

"What's different now." Jay wondered confused, "We promised we wouldn't let our personal lives interfere with work. You were there standing next to me when we made that promise to Hank." Jay reminded her.

"I don't think I can do this again." Erin told him sadly.

"What the hell does that mean?"

"It means that I can't stand there again and wait for them to bring you out in a body bag."

"I can't promise you that's not going to happen."

"Well I need you too." Erin told him.

"Erin you're not being reasonable about this."

"You want me to be reasonable, when you nearly leave me pregnant and a widow." Erin yelled at him.

"What do you mean? You're pregnant?" Jay asked shocked.

"What? Shit." Erin said as she realized she'd blurted out the surprise news she found out at her doctors appointment that morning.

"We're really having a baby?" Jay asked a smile quirking his lips, as took her hands in his.

"I found out this morning. This wasn't how I planned on telling you." Erin told him, the beginning of a smile ghosting her lips.

"You mean you didn't plan on nearly braining me with a water bottle?" Jay asked with a smirk.

"No my plan involved dinner and your favorite thing." Erin told him a smirk of her own.

"What you naked?" Jay asked quirking an eyebrow at her.

"Um. No. I was talking about the lemon meringue pie I picked up for dessert."

"Which you'll feed to me naked right?" Jay asked a hopeful look on his battered face.

"Maybe." Erin said stretching up on her toes and pressing her lips against his.

The two pulled apart when a throat was cleared from the still open doorway.

And for the first time Erin and Jay were aware that the entire Unit had witnessed everything since Jay had walked into the break room.

"I'm just gonna shut this." Antonio said with a grin on his face as he closed the door.

"Oh God." Erin cringed in embarrassment, "How much of that do you think they heard?"

"Every word." Jay said with a chuckle as he wrapped his arms around her once more.

"Sorry for being crazy and emotional today." Erin apologised.

"Thats ok. I guess thats something I better get used to huh?" Jay replied with a chuckle, which earned him a punch to his shoulder.

"Seriously though Jay. I thought I'd lost you today."

"Erin you could never loose me. I'll always be with you, even when I'm not standing next to you." Jay told her sweetly.

Erin settled her head against his chest, her arms snaking around his waist, and breathed the scent of him in, thankful that he was safe, and right where he belonged, safe at home in her arms.


End file.
